Strength in Numbers: Analyzing the Influence of Employee Marketing Intensity on Firm Performance
(A2025-125948)

AUTHORS

Gijs van Bussel, KU Leuven; Alexander Edeling, KU Leuven; Anatoli Colicev, University of Liverpool Management School; Yakov Bart, Northeastern University

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the relationship between employee marketing intensity and firm performance, addressing an underexplored aspect of marketing’s importance in organizations. While prior research has uncovered the role of marketing in the upper echelons and of marketing expenditures for firm success, it has overlooked the impact of employees executing marketing strategies. Using a proprietary dataset on employees' online professional profiles, we explore how the number of marketing employees relative to total employees (marketing intensity) influences firm performance (i.e., Return on Assets). Our analysis of 3,794 U.S. firms over 16 years reveals a positive association between marketing intensity and future firm performance. Additionally, we identify several moderating factors, providing deeper insights into when marketing intensity is more and less effective. These findings have important implications for marketing managers, HR managers, and marketing researchers.